The Copyright Law of China was adopted on 7 September 1990. The final version went into effect on 27 October 2001.

Copyright protection is available for original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible form, whether published or unpublished. The categories of works that can be protected by copyright laws include paintings, literary works, live performances, photographs, movies, and software.

Any work of a foreigner and stateless person published for the first time and within the territory of China shall enjoy copyright within China in accordance with copyright law. Any work of a foreigner which is published outside China and enjoys copyright under an agreement concluded between the country to which the author belongs and China or under an international treaty in which both countries are parties, shall be protected by this Law.

Registration Categories

§ Written works
§ Oral works
§ Musical, dramatic, quyi, choreographic and acrobatic art works
§ Works of fine-art and architecture
§ Photographic works
§ Cinematographic works and works created in a way similar to cinematography
§ Drawings of engineering designs and product designs, maps, sketches and other graphic works as well as model works
§ Computer software
§ Other works as provided in law and administrative regulations

Time Required

§ 2-3 months (can be accelerated by paying additional official fees)

Term of Validity

§ Copyright of a natural person's work: throughout the author’s life and 50 years hereafter
§ Copyright of a legal entity's or other organisations’ work: 50 years, inclusively, since publication